Restaurant India News: SMOOR Launches India’s Largest Chocolate Experience Centre in Bengaluru

SMOOR has launched what it describes as India’s largest consumer-facing Chocolate Factory Experience Centre in Bengaluru. Spanning 68,000 square feet, the facility positions the brand within the growing experiential retail and hospitality segment, integrating manufacturing, R&D, café operations, and direct-to-consumer engagement under one roof.

Founded in 2015 in Bengaluru, SMOOR has expanded into a multi-city chocolate brand with presence across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, and Chennai. The company currently operates 75+ physical touchpoints, supported by a dark kitchen network and an online and corporate gifting platform. The new Experience Centre consolidates its production and experiential strategies into a single, scalable format.

Located in Avalahalli, the standalone facility includes a 2,200 sq. ft. experiential café with seating for approximately 60 guests and has the capacity to host around 350 visitors per day through prior reservations. The format allows customers to observe and participate in chocolate-making processes, including grinding, conching, tempering, moulding, and packaging, with winnowing and roasting scheduled to be introduced in the coming months.

At the operational level, the centre houses manufacturing equipment sourced from Germany, Italy, and India, with nearly 50 percent of the machinery being Indian-made. All molds are imported from Europe to maintain global production standards. The company has also developed a custom-designed, FSSC 2200–compliant manufacturing facility within the campus to strengthen capacity, efficiency, and supply chain management. The current 68,000 sq. ft. infrastructure includes provisions to scale up to 120,000 sq. ft. over the next five years.

The integrated model combines production with experiential retail. Visitors can create their own chocolate bars, participate in guided tastings including Indian cocoa flights, and attend chef-led workshops and pairing sessions. The retail section offers exclusive pricing on select products available only at the Experience Centre. An R&D kitchen supports ongoing product development, seasonal launches, festive hampers, and limited-edition collaborations, while the brand continues to expand its Indian estate chocolate portfolio nationally.

Vimal Sharma, Founder & CEO, SMOOR Chocolates, said, “When we imagined the SMOOR Experience Centre, our ambition was clear - to create a chocolate destination in India that could stand alongside the world’s most iconic chocolate houses. From state-of-the-art manufacturing to immersive consumer experiences, this is our statement that India is ready for chocolate experiences at a global benchmark. We’re proud to put an Indian brand, rooted in Indian craftsmanship, on the international chocolate map.”

The Experience Centre reflects a broader industry shift toward destination-led consumption. Brands are increasingly investing in large-format, immersive spaces that extend beyond traditional retail to include education, participation, and brand storytelling. The facility’s highway-adjacent location, approximately 40 minutes from Indiranagar, Whitefield, and the airport, supports accessibility for both local consumers and visiting audiences.

Industry observers note that experiential formats in the premium food category are gaining traction as brands seek to differentiate beyond product sales. By combining manufacturing transparency, curated hospitality, and direct retail engagement, SMOOR is aligning with global experiential benchmarks while strengthening its domestic footprint in the luxury chocolate segment.